Physics 500 Part One

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Physics 500 Part one

State Standards:

GSE PS3 (7-8)-8 - Motion

Students demonstrate an understanding of motion by…
  • 8a measuring distance and time for a moving object and using those values as well as the relationship s=d/t to calculate speed and graphically represent the data.

National Standards:

Context of Lesson:

This is the first lesson in a three day sequence lab activity. This lesson builds directly off of the previous lesson, as a reinforcement to the concepts that the students have already been taught. Students will apply what they have learned in various activities and analyze the data. In this lesson, Students will work in groups to measure the speed of an event in terms of distance and time. Students will also be asked to describe the motion in relation to frame of reference and position. This gives a hands-on experience for the students to remember the concepts, rather than simply memorizing the formulas.

Opportunities to Learn:

Depth of Knowledge

Webb level one:
  • Conduct basic mathematical Calculations
  • Label locations on a diagram
  • Measure length
Webb level two:
  • Identify patterns in events
  • Organize, represent, and interpret data
Webb level three
  • Support ideas with details

Prerequisite Knowledge

  • How to describe motion
  • Algebra skills
  • Measuring distance
  • Calculating Speed

Plans for Differentiating Instruction

  • The lab handout provides multiple ways to represent understanding. Students are asked to:
    • Represent the results in a diagram (visual)
    • Describe the results in sentence form (Linguistic)
    • Show calculations mathematically (logical)
    • Work hands-on to produce results (kinesthetic)

Accommodations and modifications

  • Students that require modifications will have a lab handout that does not contain higher level questions that ask students to analyze.
  • Students that require modifications will have a simpler handout that assists them in determining the answers.
  • Students that require extra help and verbal cues will be given one-on-one instruction.

Environmental factors

  • Students will be assigned to predetermined groups to distribute cognition.
  • If the weather is nice, Students will be allowed to go outdoors to complete this activity.
  • Plan for the day will be on the board prior to the start of class.

Materials

Objectives:

Students will build explanations to:
  • analyze the relationship between time, distance and speed
Students will conduct investigations to:
  • Calculate speed and average speed of an event
  • Compare events based on their relative speed

Instruction:

Opening:

Warm up: Speed worksheet .
Segue:
  • Discuss worksheet "Starting time is on the clock next to the first position and the final time is on the clock in the final position" "How do you determine the total time? Total Distance? What do we mean when we ask which one went fastest? How do we determine this?"
  • Discuss today's activities
  • "Today we are going to apply what we have learned about motion thus far to gain a better understanding of the concepts."

Engagement:

Activity One: Physics 500
In this activity, I was students to practice using the speed formula in different situations and learn what the term speed refers to. Students will choose an 'event' to use in their speed challenge. In the second day on this lab, students will use the same formula to determine an unknown distance. They will have to use deductive reasoning to determine how to acurately measure the unkown distance using the speed formula. Students will have to learn how to keep a constant speed and calibrate it so that their calculations are correct. The students will begin to learn how to calibrate their speeds in this day of the laboratory. THe main idea of this lab is to give students a concrete idea of speed and the ambiguous term 'fast'. Students will also learn what it takes to keep the speed constant in each trial.

  • Teacher Hands out Lab activity and Reviews it.
    • Multiple trials are done
    • Determine a distance prior to the activity and use the same distance throughout.
  • Teacher assigns groups and event
  • Groups given stop watches, tape, and meter stick.
  • Students taken outside (If weather permits) and instructed to begin their activity.
    • Students will remain in their groups.
    • Students will not go outside predetermined area.
    • Students are not to yell and run around causing disturbances.
    • Students may have fun and play around as long as they are on task and following directions.
  • Teacher walks around to keep students on task and monitor their activity. Teacher will look for students on task and participation. Teacher will also ask questions "How do you know you are calculating the correct speed? Are your speeds the same each time? Why/why not?"


Closure:

  • Bring students back to the room with fifteen minutes left of class.
  • Ask students to write their results on the chart on the board. (Put up prior to class).
  • Ask students to copy down the results on their Handout.
  • Go over the results and questions one and two on the handout.
  • Review the lab. "What was the main idea of this lab? Did we accomplish this goal?"
  • The rest are to be done for homework.

Assessment:

  • Formative assessment of students performing the lab activity
  • Formative assessment of students' response to questions
  • Formal assessment of students' completion and answers to lab handout.

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